Drugs & Prohibition

Oregon Democrat proposing making cigarettes a prescription-only drug

"A lawmaker in Oregon has proposed making nicotine a Schedule III controlled substance in the state, placing it in the same category as many prescription tranquilizers and stimulants. The bill, introduced by Democratic Rep. Mitch Greenlick, would require anyone who wished to smoke a cigarette to first obtain a prescription from a doctor. Nicotine-containing products would only be available from pharmacies. Those caught using nicotine without a prescription could face up to one year in prison and a $6,250 fine under the proposed law." Continue reading →

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Gun Violence is Not a Republican Problem

"67% of firearm murders took place in the country’s 50 largest metro areas. The 62 cities in those metro areas have a firearm murder rate of 9.7, more than twice the national average. Among teenagers the firearm murder rate is 14.6 or almost three times the national average. Those are the crowded cities of Obamerica. Those are the places with the most restrictive gun control laws and the highest crime rates. And many of them have been run by Democrats and their political machines for almost as long as they have been broken." Continue reading →

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New York State Black Market in Cigarettes Booming

"More than 60 percent of cigarettes smoked in New York State, which has the highest tobacco taxes in the nation, are smuggled in from out of state and consumed tax free. New York raised its excise tax by 58% from $2.75 a pack to $4.35 in 2010, but it resulted in only a 20% increase in revenue. It's is really good to know this underground network is in action. In addition to smokers being provided tax free cigarettes, the black market that is developing in NYS is creating a network of trusted suppliers and customers that can be operational against further government interventions that may take place down the road." Continue reading →

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Trooper indicted for stealing marijuana

"A former Georgia State Patrol Trooper is indicted for stealing marijuana from the Post evidence locker, and giving it to teenage girls. Jaa Tucker was arrested by the Early County Sheriff's Office this morning. He posted bond and was released. He is charged with theft by government employee, distribution of marijuana, and violation of oath of office. The Thomasville GBI Post is handling the investigation. A GSP source says that Tucker was fired last year." Continue reading →

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Utah Cops Interrupt Husband’s Last Goodbyes to Grab Dead Woman’s Pain Pills

"Barbara Alice Mahaffey, an elderly resident of Vernal, Utah, died at home of colon cancer on May 21 as her husband of 58 years stood at her side. The death of his long-time spouse was bad enough, but what came next has Ben Mahaffey furious -- and heading to court. Mahaffey, 80, filed a lawsuit against the city of Vernal earlier this month charging that Vernal police interrupted his last goodbyes by searching his house for her prescription pain medication without a warrant within minutes after her death. Mahaffey said he was distraught and trying to ensure that his wife's body would be transported to a funeral home with dignity when police insisted he help them look for drugs." Continue reading →

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NYPD looks to GPS bottles to combat pill bandits

"The New York Police Department wants pharmacies in and around the city to fight prescription drug thefts by stocking pill bottles fitted with GPS tracking chips. Prescription drug abuse 'can serve as a gateway to criminal activities, especially among young people,' the commissioner says. The NYPD has begun creating a database of the roughly 6,000 pharmacies in the New York City area with plans to have officers visit them and recommend security measures like better alarm systems and lighting of storage areas. Kelly says it also will ask them to stock the GPS bottles containing fake oxycodone." Continue reading →

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Can the DEA Hide a Surveillance Camera on Your Land?

"A case that began with reports of suspicious activity in northeast Wisconsin forest land last spring may be headed for the US Supreme Court. That's because a US district court judge ruled in the case last fall that it was okay for the DEA to enter the rural property without a warrant and install surveillance cameras that were used to help convict five members of a family on charges they were growing marijuana." Continue reading →

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Former Chicago cop gets 19 years in Latin Kings case

"A former veteran Chicago police officer was sentenced to 19 years in prison Friday for stealing drugs, cash and guns for the Latin Kings street gang often while on-duty. Guerrero pleaded guilty in August to taking part in seven robberies or burglaries of Latin King rivals between 2004 and 2006 with Officer Antonio C. Martinez Jr. in Hammond, East Chicago and Highland. Martinez also pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing." Continue reading →

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US Fires Back In Antiguan Gambling Spat

"The United States has warned Antigua and Barbuda not to pursue compensation agreed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) following a 2004 ruling against US laws prohibiting the provision of online gambling services to the United States market. In a landmark decision in 2004, the WTO agreed that these laws were in violation of the US's international treaty obligations. However, to date, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has said that 'it has been unable, despite sustained efforts, to either get the United States to comply with the WTO ruling or negotiate any reasonable compromise to settle the dispute.'" Continue reading →

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Anthony Gregory: Newtown and the Bipartisan Police State

"The way that one mass murderer has been turned into a poster boy for the agenda of depriving millions of Americans of the right to own weapons that virtually none of them will ever use to commit a crime is disgusting, and seems to be rooted in some sort of cultural bigotry. Nothing else would easily explain the invincible resistance to logical arguments such as: rifles are rarely used in crimes, gun control empowers the police state over the weak, and such laws simply do not work against criminals, full stop. Rifles are easier to manufacture than methamphetamine, and we know how well the drug war has stopped its proliferation, and 3D printing will soon make it impossible to stop." Continue reading →

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